Related articles

The hitman peered through a hole bored in a fence to see Palmer burning papers, then leapt over and shot him.

Palmer, who got his nickname after he was arrested on suspicion of smelting gold bars from the £26million Brink’sMat bullion robbery at Heathrow in 1983, staggered around 15 yards towards his house before collapsing.

GETTY

Police have followed up 700 leads in vain

But paramedics called to the scene failed to realise he had been shot, thinking his subsequent death was linked to gall bladder surgery he had a few days before.